An exemplary method for synchronizing audio playback of a plurality of digital media renders. The digital media renders include a digital audio/video (AV) media render and at least one digital audio media render. The method includes: detecting a relative time position difference between the digital AV media render and the at least one digital audio media render; and controlling audio playback of the digital audio media render to synchronize to audio playback of the digital AV media render according to the relative time position difference.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of synchronizing audio playback of a plurality of digital media renders (DMRs), wherein the DMRs comprise a digital audio/video (AV) media render and at least one digital audio media render, the method comprising: detecting a relative time position difference between the digital AV media render and the digital audio media render; generating a mismatching relative time position according to the relative time position difference, comprising: determining if audio playback synchronization between the digital AV media render and the digital audio media render is under a stable state; and if the audio playback synchronization is under the stable state, providing the relative time position difference, acting as a phase error needs to be eliminated, to at least a phase-locked loop (PLL) unit to generate the mismatching relative time position; and controlling audio playback of the digital audio media render to be synchronous to audio playback of the digital AV media render according to the mismatching relative time position.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the DMRs receive audio data from a digital media server (DMS) for audio playback via wireless connection.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting the relative time position difference comprises: receiving an AV relative time position from the digital AV media render; receiving an audio relative time position from the digital audio media render; and calculating a time difference between the AV relative time position and the audio relative time position as the relative time position difference.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of generating the mismatching relative time position further comprises: if the audio playback synchronization is not under the stable state, directly outputting the relative time position difference to serve as the mismatching relative time position, and resetting the PLL unit.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining if audio playback synchronization between the digital AV media render and the digital audio media render is under the stable state comprises: comparing the relative time position difference with a threshold value; when the relative time position difference is less than the threshold value, determining that the audio playback synchronization is under the stable state; and when the relative time position difference is not less than the threshold value, determining that the audio playback synchronization is not under the stable state.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of controlling audio playback of the digital audio media render according to the mismatching relative time position comprises: referring to an audio package length for converting the mismatching relative time position into a digital audio package number and a remaining digital audio bit number which is less than the audio package length; and controlling the audio playback of the digital audio media render according to the digital audio package number and the remaining digital audio bit number.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of controlling the audio playback of the digital audio media render according to the digital audio package number and the remaining digital audio bit number comprises: controlling a digital media server (DMS) according to the digital audio package number for adjusting audio packages provided to the digital audio media render by the DMS; and controlling the digital audio media render according to the remaining digital audio bit number for adjusting decoded audio bits generated by the digital audio media render.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of controlling the audio playback of the digital audio media render according to the digital audio package number and the remaining digital audio bit number comprises: controlling the digital audio media render according to the digital audio package number for adjusting audio packages to be decoded by the digital audio media render; and controlling the digital audio media render according to the remaining digital audio bit number for adjusting decoded audio bits generated by the digital audio media render.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of controlling audio playback of the digital audio media render according to the mismatching relative time position comprises: controlling the digital audio media render according to the mismatching relative time position for adjusting decoded audio bits generated by the digital audio media render.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of controlling audio playback of the digital audio media render according to the mismatching relative time position further comprises: updating an audio relative time position of the digital audio media render according to the mismatching relative time position.
11. A digital media controller (DMC) for synchronizing audio playback of a plurality of digital media controllers (DMRs), wherein the DMRs comprise a digital audio/video (AV) media render and at least one digital audio media render, the DMC comprising: a detecting circuit, arranged for detecting a relative time position difference between the digital AV media render and the digital audio media render; and a control circuit, coupled to the detecting circuit, arranged for controlling audio playback of the digital audio media render to be synchronous to audio playback of the digital AV media render according to the relative time position difference, the control circuit comprising: a determining unit, arranged for determining if audio playback synchronization between the digital AV media render and the digital audio media render is under a stable state; a phase-locked loop (PLL) unit, arranged for generating the mismatching relative time position by receiving the relative time position difference to act as a phase error needs to be eliminated; and a switching unit, coupled to the determining unit and the PLL unit, the switching unit arranged for outputting the mismatching relative time position generated from the PLL unit when the determining unit determines that the audio playback synchronization is under the stable state.
12. The DMC of claim 11 , wherein the detecting circuit receives a first audio relative time position from the digital AV media render, receives a second audio relative time position from the digital audio media render, and calculates a time difference between the first audio relative time position and the second audio relative time position as the relative time position difference.
13. The DMC of claim 11 , wherein when the determining unit determines that the audio playback synchronization is not under the stable state, the PLL unit is reset; and the switching unit is further arranged for directly outputting the relative time position difference to serve as the mismatching relative time position when the determining unit determines that the audio playback synchronization is not under the stable state.
14. The DMC of claim 11 , wherein the determining unit compares the relative time position difference with a threshold value; when the relative time position difference is less than the threshold value, the determining unit determines that the audio playback synchronization is under the stable state; and when the relative time position difference is not less than the threshold value, the determining unit determines that the audio playback synchronization is not under the stable state.
15. A digital audio media render, comprising: an audio playback adjusting circuit; and a control circuit, arranged for receiving a mismatching relative time position from a digital media controller (DMC), referring to an audio package length to convert the mismatching relative time position into a digital audio package number and a remaining digital audio bit number which is less than the audio package length, and controlling the audio playback of the digital audio media render according to the digital audio package number and the remaining digital audio bit number, thereby to allow the audio playback of the digital audio media render synchronous to the audio playback of the digital AV media render, wherein the mismatching relative time position corresponds to a relative time position difference between the digital audio media render and the digital AV media render.
16. The digital audio media render of claim 15 , wherein the digital audio media render receives audio data from a digital media server (DMS) for audio playback via wireless connection.
17. The digital audio media render of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit outputs the digital audio package number to a digital media server (DMS) to adjust audio packages provided to the digital audio media render by the DMS, and outputs the remaining digital audio bit number to the audio playback adjusting circuit; and the audio playback adjusting circuit adjusts decoded audio bits generated by the digital audio media render according to the remaining digital audio bit number.
18. The digital audio media render of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit outputs the digital audio package number and the digital audio bit number to the audio playback adjusting circuit; and the audio playback adjusting circuit adjusts audio packages to be decoded by the digital audio media render according to the digital audio package number, and adjusts decoded audio bits generated by the digital audio media render according to the remaining digital audio bit number.
19. The digital audio media render of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit controls the audio playback adjusting circuit according to the mismatching relative time position to adjust audio packages to be decoded by the digital audio media render and decoded audio bits generated by the digital audio media render.
20. The digital audio media render of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit controls the audio playback adjusting circuit according to the mismatching relative time position to adjust decoded audio bits generated by the digital audio media render.
21. The digital audio media render of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit updates an audio relative time position of the digital audio media render according to the mismatching relative time position.
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November 4, 2012
January 13, 2015
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